Add me to this question. I have a very leaky trash can [plastic] and have wondered if it would do for composting. I just have an open pile now.

This is my first year composting, and I am using a garbage can. I drilled 1" holes all around the sides and the bottom to let air in, and take the lid on and off to control water intake. It's compact, meaning that I may have a limited supply, but it is movable at any time. A big plus during certain times of the year.

I really like it, as traditional piles look "sloppy". Not that I care, but the neighbors might. I've had sucess so far, but think that the pile may have heated up better if it was larger.

I have a couple of garbage can bins. Very slow (cold) composting, but it does work. I've never tried the PVC-tube-down-the-middle thing, though.

I drill holes all over the sides, in the bottom and top, and place it on a few pavers or bricks to raise it up off the ground.

This method is difficult to turn, which doesn't matter much to me as I don't usually bother turning anyway. I cannot budge the can once it's full, so it sits where it is.

The stuff in the bottom tends to get anaerobic, and when I empty the can that bottom stuff stinks to high heaven, (and is usually only half-finished) but I just toss it in another bin and the smell is gone fairly quickly. I use a lot of half-finished compost in my lasagna beds, so I don't always wait for it to be fully finished anyway.

This is my best-ever garbage can compost. And the only reason there is still grass there is because my son dumped the lawnmower bag in the wrong bin. I had to take all the grass clippings off the top of the compost.

{{gwi:258494}}

Dee

I have a garbage can bin. My home owners association doesn't allow piles. I haven't asked to find out if they allow bins. I figure my garbage can bin won't bother any one if I take care of it.

I first punched the sides and top full of holes. But I never got any usable compost from it. It just never got going, even cold.

A few months ago, I cut the bottom out of it and stood it in my garden so that it's in contact with the ground. Then I insulated it with leaves piled around. This seems to be working a lot better. I turned it by sticking a cobrahead weeder down in it. It churns it up a bit. I did this just yesterday when I added some shrimp shells, and stuff in the bin is breaking down pretty well. I expect I'll have mostly finished compost in spring, but nothing as nice looking as Dee's.

I do a lot of trench composting, so before I plant in the spring, I'll just bury whatever is left in my bin. Works for me!

I actually drilled holes in the bottom of the can and sat it directly on the grass. The snow all around it is melted, and worms are actually coming up from the warm grass and going in and out of the compost. I can't explain how happy that made me. I hate worms, but we have a mutual respect now. :)

I use garbage can composters. I drill holes (I've tried both 1/4" and 1/2", can't say that one is better than the other) on the sides and bottom, and keep the lid on. I place it directly on the ground.

I turn it by tipping the can over and shoveling everything back in with a pitchfork. It does, in fact, get quite heavy when full, but so far I've been able to manage the dump-and-refill method of turning. If I need to move a full bin very far, it's easier with two people.

As long as I keep the moisture level right, it heats up a bit (just warm, not hot or steaming), and I get great compost. Worms move in and take up residence. It's not super-fast, but I can get compost within a season.

I live in the city, so our yard is small, and the volume of compostables that we produce is also somewhat small. The garbage can composter is a great solution for us.

Keep three garbage cans.

Use one for accumulating kitchen scraps and leaves, etc, one as an "active" composter and one empty can.

Every couple of weeks or so, dump the contents (or better yet find a teenager to do it) of the full garbage can into the empty one as an easy method of turning the bins.

Once the compost is finished and you can spread it around, the scraps in the first can should have accumulated to about the top. Start the process over.

If garbage cans in the backyard are unappealing, large Rubbermaid totes may be more attractive. That's what I use.

I have become a master of the small scale and lazy method of composting. Very, very lazy.

If the can is indoor i.e the cellar, do I still need to drill holes in the can? I dont want to attract rodents with the food scraps(mostly fruits & vege's)

I think this is a good idea. I have worms, but they have not been keeping up with the scraps I make. I have some heart problems and have changed my diet to about 80% fresh fruits and vegetables. I haven't weighed the trims but 7-9 servings makes a lot when all but tomatoes have peels or cores to contend with. I can see having one or two cans close to the back door/garden would save a lot of trash pickup in the winter when I can not get to my piles,but could get to a can.
I have an idea what do you think? I am looking at a 32 gallon Rubbermaid Roughneck. If I was to cut off the bottom and invert the container in the yard would it not be a lot easier to lift off and refill, as the bottom would now be larger than the top. I don't worry about the grass I'll just reseed as needed!
Curt :-)

Cornell Composting has a short piece on composting in a trash can, along with other ways of composting.

You can always try composting101.com or compostguide.com. I believe those sites have some good explanations.

Kim

I too use garbage cans, which I feel have been successful. I use two large Rubbermaid black garbage cans - which is about all I can accomodate. I use one for the fresh items and one for more aged stuff which will be added either spring or fall. In theory I will have enough to dump in both.
A couple of things I have noticed:
1. The combination of having black cans and keeping the lids on causes it to get very hot in the summer :)
2. Because this is not like open piles, with the summer heat they can dry out. I manage this by adding water (or sometimes urine) or sometimes setting the lids on crooked so that rainwater can get in. I could just leave the lid off but it would not get near as hot. Because I have not drilled holes in mine I have to be careful of overwatering.
3. I try to turn it once or twice a week when the weather is decent. I do it with a shovel with a straight blade on it. The con to this method is you can really only stir down to about two feet in depth.

I've wondered how metal trash cans would compare to using these black rubber ones. If I had metal and could get a tight lid to fit I could probably roll them to get a good turn. The metal too would bring a great deal of heat to the pile in the summer.